The present invention generally relates to a network system constructed by a host computer and local terminals. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method of extending a capability of a music apparatus equipped in the local terminal in the form of an electronic musical instrument or a personal computer having function of an electronic musical instrument.
In the field of electronic musical instruments, various capabilities have been conventionally realized, including a timbre synthesis capability for synthesizing timbres and an automatic accompaniment capability for performing automatic accompaniment by reproducing play data of an accompaniment pattern. Some of these capabilities are initially provided on electronic musical instruments, while others are not. It would be convenient if the capabilities not inherently provided in an electronic musical instrument can be subsequently added thereto. It is desired to provide a service for implementing such addition of the various capabilities. The same is true for a personal computer having function of an electronic musical instrument realized by an application software.
Most of the above-mentioned capabilities are conventionally implemented by microcomputer-based data processing. Electronic musical instruments themselves are also controlled by a microcomputer. This makes it possible to use, via a network, programs and other software resources that can implement various capabilities, thereby extending capabilities of the electronic musical instrument and personal computer having the electronic musical instrument function. p Meanwhile, use of the software resources reserved in a host computer by local terminals such as personal computers is conventionally practiced by connecting these local terminals to the host computer through a network. A procedure most frequently used in such a configuration is downloading of application programs from the host computer into the local terminals.
However, In the above-mentioned conventional procedure, the local terminal cannot execute a downloaded program if hardware resources of the local terminal is not enough for executing the downloaded program. Another problem with the conventional procedure is that local terminals of some types cannot install the application program due to incompatibility of their operating system or else. Still another problem is that, if the size of a program to be used is huge, a local terminal must download the program while consuming a considerable time without recognizing advantage and performance that the program will provide until the downloading is finished.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to achieve, by focusing on a network constituted by a host computer and local terminals, an extension of capabilities of a music apparatus such as an electronic musical instrument and a personal computer having function of an electronic musical instrument without any restriction from a local terminal to which the music apparatus is connected.
A first aspect of the invention is directed to a method of operating a music apparatus to function as an electronic musical instrument under control by a local terminal which is communicable with a host computer through a network. The inventive method comprises the steps of installing the host computer with a synthesizer capability utilized to computer timbre data, connecting the local terminal to the host computer through the network to remotely control the synthesizer capability of the host computer so as to compute the timbre data prepared for the music apparatus, downloading the computed timbre data from the host computer into the music apparatus through the local terminal so as to set a desired timbre of a musical tone, and operating the music apparatus to function as the electronic musical instrument to generate the musical tone having the desired timbre set by the downloaded timbre data.
According to the music apparatus capability extending method configured as mentioned above, the synthesizer capability or timbre synthesis capability is provided on the host computer of a network system. The timbre synthesis capability generates by computation timbre data to be handled by the music apparatus having the electronic musical instrument function. The local terminal networked to the host computer is connected to the music apparatus such as the electronic musical instrument and the personal computer having the electronic musical instrument function. From the local terminal, the timbre synthesis capability of the host computer is controlled remotely. A result of the timbre data computation by the host computer is sent to the music apparatus via the local terminal. Based on the received computation result, the music apparatus sets its own timbres of music tones. Therefore, even if the timbre synthesis capability is not provided on the music apparatus itself, timbres can be set in the form of data that can be handled by the music apparatus having the electronic musical instrument function.
A second aspect of the invention is directed to a method of operating a music apparatus to function as an electronic musical instrument according to song data representative of a desired song under control by a local terminal which is communicable with a host computer through a network. The method comprises the steps of installing the host computer with a sequencer capability utilized to time-sequentially process the song data to compute automatic play data, connecting the local terminal to the host computer through the network to remotely control the sequencer capability of the host computer while supplying thereto the song data so as to compute the automatic play data prepared for the music apparatus, downloading the computed automatic play data from the host computer into the music apparatus through the local terminal, and operating the music apparatus to function as the electronic musical instrument to undergo an automatic play of the desired song according to the downloaded automatic play data.
According to the music apparatus capability extending method configured as mentioned above, the sequencer capability or automatic accompaniment capability is provided on the host computer of a network system. The automatic accompaniment capability generates play data that can be handled by the music apparatus having the electronic musical instrument function. The local terminal networked to this host computer is connected to the music apparatus such as the electronic musical instrument and the personal computer having the electronic musical instrument function. The automatic accompaniment capability of the host computer is remotely controlled by the local terminal. In response to command information from the music apparatus, the host computer executes the automatic accompaniment capability. The play data generated by the automatic accompaniment capability of the host computer is sent to back the music apparatus via the local terminal. Based on the received play data, the music apparatus generates music tones to sound an automatic accompaniment. Therefore, even if the automatic accompaniment capability is not provided on the music apparatus itself, the automatic accompaniment can be performed by the play data that can be handled by the music apparatus having the electronic musical instrument function.
A third aspect of the invention is directed to a method of operating a music apparatus to function as an electronic musical instrument under control by a local terminal which is communicable with a host computer through a network. The inventive method comprises the steps of installing the host computer with an emulator capability utilized to emulate an operation of the electronic musical instrument, connecting the local terminal to the host computer through the network to remotely control the emulator capability of the host computer so as to compute operation data indicative of the operation of the electronic musical instrument upon emulation thereof, downloading the computed operation data from the host computer into the music apparatus through the local terminal, and virtually operating the music apparatus to function as the electronic musical instrument to investigate performance thereof according to the downloaded operation data without actually operating the music apparatus.
According to the music apparatus capability extending method configured as mentioned above, the emulator capability or electronic musical instrument simulating capability is provided on the host computer of a network system. The electronic musical instrument simulating capability simulates operation of an electronic musical instrument to generate by computation the operation data indicating the result of the simulation. The local terminal networked to this host computer is connected to the music apparatus such as an electronic musical instrument and a personal computer having an electronic musical instrument function. The electronic musical instrument simulating capability of the host computer is remotely controlled by the local terminal. The operation data obtained based on the result of the computation by the electronic musical instrument simulating capability of the host computer is sent to the music apparatus via the local terminal. On the music apparatus, the operation according to this operation data is performed. This electronic musical instrument simulating capability performs simulation on the network with respect to how the music apparatus such as the electronic musical instrument and the personal computer having the electronic musical instrument function operates according to particular settings. This allows the user to make familiar with or learn the specifications, capabilities, and handling of a particular music apparatus such as the electronic musical instrument and the personal computer having the electronic musical instrument function.
A fourth aspect of the invention is directed to a method of extending a desired capability of a music apparatus having function of an electronic musical instrument under control by a local terminal which is communicable with a host computer through a network. The method comprises the steps of installing the host computer with a program composed of a function module which is executable to provide the desired capability and a first interface module which interfaces the function module with the local terminal through the network when the local terminal remotely executes the function module installed in the host computer, preparing in the host computer a second interface module which is specifically designed to adapt the function module to the music apparatus, connecting the local terminal to the host computer through the network to download a set of the function module and the second interface module into the music apparatus by means of the local terminal, and allowing the music apparatus to internally execute the downloaded function module through the downloaded second interface module to thereby extend the desired capability as the electronic musical instrument.
According to the music apparatus capability extending method configured as mentioned above, the application program and the second interface module prepared for the music apparatus are provided on the host computer of a network system. This program is composed of the function module executable for providing the desired capability associated with the music apparatus and the first interface module generally designed for interfacing this function module with the network. The second interface module prepared for the music apparatus corresponds to the function module of the application program. The local terminal networked to the host computer is connected to the music apparatus such as an electronic musical instrument and a personal computer having an electronic musical instrument function. Then, the function module of the application program stored in the host computer and the second interface module for the music apparatus stored also in the host computer are sent to the music apparatus via the local terminal. This allows installation of a new capability associated with the music apparatus by the function module via the second interface module for the music apparatus as well as upgrading of the existing capabilities.
A fifth aspect of the invention is directed to a music apparatus attachable to a local terminal which is communicable with a host computer through a network for extending a desired capability of the music apparatus having function of an electronic musical instrument, the host computer being installed with a program composed of a function module which is executable to provide the desired capability and a first interface module which interfaces the function module with the local terminal through the network when the local terminal remotely executes the function module installed in the host computer, the host computer further being installed with a second interface module which is specifically prepared to adapt the function module to the music apparatus. The inventive music apparatus comprises means for commanding the terminal apparatus to communicate with the host computer through the network to download a set of the function module and the second interface module from the host computer, means for storing the set of the function module and the second interface module downloaded by the local terminal, and means for internally executing the stored function module through the stored second interface module to thereby extend the desired capability as the electronic musical instrument.
The music apparatus configured as mentioned above is connected to one local terminal of a network system composed of a host computer and local terminals. This music apparatus stores the function module initially provided in the host computer and the second interface module prepared for the music apparatus as a set into an internal storage. This allows installation of a new capability associated with the electronic musical instrument function of the music apparatus by the function module via the second interface module for the music apparatus as well as upgrading of the existing capabilities.
In the above-mentioned inventive methods of extending music apparatus capabilities according to the first, second and third aspects, each capability to be executed on the music apparatus only needs to be remotely controlled by the local terminal, leaving actual data computation to the host computer. Therefore, desired capabilities are available to the user without restriction imposed by the scale of the user local terminal. In using the music apparatus associated with the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention, the function module of the application program and the second interface module prepared for the music apparatus are downloaded as a set to the music apparatus, thereby allowing implementation of desired capabilities regardless of the setting of the local terminal and the characteristics of the operating system used in the local terminal.
The invention further covers various machine readable media. A first machine readable medium is for use in a local terminal which has a CPU and which is communicable with a host computer through a network, the host computer being installed with a synthesizer capability utilized to compute timbre data. The first medium contains program instructions executable by the CPU for causing the local terminal to operate a music apparatus equipped therein to function as an electronic musical instrument by the steps of connecting the local terminal to the host computer through the network to remotely control the synthesizer capability of the host computer so as to compute the timbre data prepared for the music apparatus, downloading the computed timbre data from the host computer into the music apparatus through the local terminal so as to set a desired timbre of a musical tone, and operating the music apparatus to function as the electronic musical instrument to generate the musical tone having the desired timbre set by the downloaded timbre data.
A second machine readable medium is for use in a local terminal which has a CPU and which is communicable with a host computer through a network, the host computer being installed with a sequencer capability utilized to time-sequentially process song data representative of a desired song to compute automatic play data. The second medium contains program instructions executable by the CPU for causing the local terminal to operate a music apparatus equipped therein to function as an electronic musical instrument by the steps of connecting the local terminal to the host computer through the network to remotely control the sequencer capability of the host computer while supplying thereto the song data so as to compute the automatic play data prepared for the music apparatus, downloading the computed automatic play data from the host computer into the music apparatus through the local terminal, and operating the music apparatus to function as the electronic musical instrument to undergo an automatic play of the desired song according to the downloaded automatic play data.
A third machine readable medium is for use in a local terminal which has a CPU and which is communicable with a host computer through a network, the host computer being installed with an emulator capability utilized to emulate an operation of an electronic musical instrument. The third medium contains program instructions executable by the CPU for causing the local terminal to operate a music apparatus equipped therein to function as the electronic musical instrument by the steps of connecting the local terminal to the host computer through the network to remotely control the emulator capability of the host computer so as to compute operation data indicative of the operation of the electronic musical instrument upon emulation thereof, downloading the computed operation data from the host computer into the music apparatus through the local terminal, and virtually operating the music apparatus to function as the electronic musical instrument to investigate performance thereof according to the downloaded operation data without actually operating the music apparatus.
A fourth machine readable medium is for use in a local terminal which has a CPU and which is communicable with a host computer through a network for extending a desired capability of a music apparatus which is equipped in the local terminal and which has a function of an electronic musical instrument, the host computer being installed with a program composed of a function module which is executable to provide the desired capability and a first interface module which interfaces the function module with the local terminal through the network when the local terminal remotely executes the function module installed in the host computer, the host computer further being installed with a second interface module which is specifically prepared to adapt the function module to the music apparatus. The fourth medium contains instructions processed by the CPU for causing the local terminal to operate the music apparatus by the steps of communicating with the host computer through the network to download a set of the function module and the second interface module from the host computer, storing the set of the function module and the second interface module downloaded by the local terminal into a storage provided in the music apparatus, and allowing the music apparatus to internally execute the stored function module through the stored second interface module to thereby extend the desired capability as the electronic musical instrument.
A fifth machine readable medium is for use in a music apparatus which has a CPU and which is attachable to a local terminal communicable with a host computer through a network for extending a desired capability of the music apparatus having a function of an electronic musical instrument, the host computer being installed with a program composed of a function module which is executable to provide the desired capability and a first interface module which interfaces the function module with the local terminal through the network when the local terminal remotely executes the function module installed in the host computer, the host computer further being installed with a second interface module which is specifically prepared to adapt the function module to the music apparatus. The fifth medium contains instructions processed by the CPU for causing the music apparatus to perform the steps of commanding the terminal apparatus to communicate with the host computer through the network to download a set of the function module and the second interface module from the host computer, storing the set of the function module and the second interface module downloaded by the local terminal, and internally executing the stored function module through the stored second interface module to thereby extend the desired capability as the electronic musical instrument.